March will put the ‘09’ in 2009 with the new number plate change. There will be plenty of great new car offers to be had.

We round up six of the best deals and explain how the plate system works.

Citroen
Save: Up to £3,760
Offers: 0 per cent finance, ‘No VAT’ savings

Citroen has slashed thousands of pounds across its new range of 09-plate cars, including £2,501 off the C4 hatchback and £3,670 off the C8 MPV.

There are also 0 per cent finance deals on the Citroen C3, C4, C5, C8 and Xsara Picasso – which also has a £5,500 cashback offer for buyers. Offers end on March 31.

Read our Citroen car reviews
View the deals

View the UK's latest car deals:

Vauxhall Insignia
Price: £11,999
Save: £4,641
Offer: 0 per cent finance

The Insignia is Vauxhall’s successor to the Vectra, and prices start from £11,999 for the luxury saloon.

Vauxhall dealer Peter Vardy is offering buyers a 0 per cent finance deal for three years on any new 09-plate Insignia – with a minimum 30 per cent deposit.

The maximum discount is £4,641 off the 1.8-litre Exclusiv model. Offer ends April 2.

Read our Vauxhall Insignia review
View the deal

Buyers looking for a fun family hatchback with sleek looks can opt for a new 09-plate Mazda 3 Sport for under £12,000.

09platemazdas.co.uk is selling the discounted Mazda 3, which can hit 62mph from standing in nine seconds and reach a top speed of 125mph.

Read our Mazda 3 Sport review
View the deal

Ford Fiesta
Price: £8,395
Save: £1,400

Ford’s stylish new supermini is one of Britain’s best – and T.C. Harrison Ford Group is selling a brand new 09-plate Ford Fiesta Style with £1,400 off the list price – for £8,395.

This also comes with 12 months AA breakdown cover and a three-year warranty.

Read our Ford Fiesta review
View the deal

View this video review of the new Ford Fiesta:

Fiat Panda Eco
Price: £5,995
Save: £1,100

The Fiat Panda Eco is an affordable city car at £5,995, which includes a CD player, body-coloured bumpers and £1,100 off the list price.

With CO2 emissions of 119g/km the Panda costs just £35 per year to tax.

Read our Fiat Panda review
View the deal

Renault Espace
Price: £16,399
Save: £7,517

The Renault Espace is a spacious and stylish MPV – and now it’s available with £7,517 off the list price from Perrys.

The 2-litre dCi 150 Dynamique model also comes with climate control, rear parking sensors and 17-inch alloy wheels.

Read the Renault Espace review by What Car
View the deal

How does the plate system work?

The first two letters represent the 'local memory tag' - where the vehicle was registered. For example LA to LY for London.

The next two numbers make up the age identifier. These are changed every six months in March and September – for example ‘09’ in March 2009 and ‘59’ in September 2009.

In 2010 the numbers will be 10 and 60 respectively, and will become 11 and 61 in 2011, and so on.

The last three letters are random. Bear in mind some personalised plates don't follow this system.

What finance options are there?

Most dealerships offer the following finance packages. Set yourself a budget before buying – and shop around.

• Hire Purchase – you pay a deposit on the car, usually 10 per cent, and the remainder at monthly intervals over an agreed period – with interest

• Personal Contract Purchase – a PCP, or Personal Contract Purchase, is a large deposit with small monthly repayments. At the end you can hand the car back or pay a lump sum to buy it outright.

• Lease hire – similar to a PCP but at the end of the agreement you give the car back – there’s no option to buy it

• Personal loan – you borrow money from a bank and use this to pay for the car in one go

Are you going to buy a new '09' plate car? Have your say on the Auto Trader Blog